Unexpected incident in Central Hospital: End of misunderstandings

Noman Patwary: May 25, 2017: It’s very common practice assaulting of doctors and attacking of hospitals following the death of patients during treatment.

The Dhaka University authorities have decided to withdraw the case over the death of a student, allegedly due to wrong treatment at the capital's Central Hospital on May 18. The hospital authorities have formed a three-member -committee to look into the allegation of mistreatment. The announcement was made at a joint press conference organised by the DU and the Central Hospital at the hospital building on May 24.

Sohel Hayder Choudhuri, general secretary for Journalist Union of Dhaka (DUJ), was asked on whether the aggressive attitude toward the doctors is for lack of trust on doctors? He said, ‘The crisis was created following the unexpected incidents have been taking place with doctors continuously’. Terming the strike called by the doctors’ union immoral and unfair, the journalist leader said that physicians should avoid such type of activities which sometimes takes life of patients.

Alternative ways should be invented in this regard, he adds.

Rashid-e-Mahbub, former president for Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), said, patients death may take place in hospitals for several reasons like- if expert doctor renders treatment with negligence and also for bringing patients to the hospital so late etc.

He, however, termed the incidents of assaulting of doctors and vandalizing hospitals as immoral and illegal.

Former general secretary for Journalist Union of Dhaka (DUJ) shared a number of bitter experience about physicians. He said that it’s a matter of great sorrow that the number of physicians provide sincere healthcare is very few in the country. In near future, the healthcare will be broken down, if humanitarian character is not grown among them, he added.

Private medical colleges are mushrooming in country, but they are mostly failing to make physicians with positive attitude to humanity, the journalist leader added.

A press release signed by Chairman of Zoology Department of Dhaka University and Director of the hospital, reads, ‘It was a misunderstanding over the death of Afia Jahin. Later, the misunderstanding ended after a fruitful discussion from the two sides.’

Mentionable, Afia was admitted to the hospital on May 17, Wednesday, after doctors there diagnosed her with "acute myeloblastic leukaemia", a type of blood cancer, according to her medical file.

But just before she died the next day, doctors confirmed that she had dengue fever, victim’s fellow students claimed.

Following her death, a considerable number of her fellow students vandalized the some rooms and accessories of the hospital.

The DU authorities filed a case against nine people, including the consultant of the hospital.

In protest against the case, Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) called for strike across the country on Tuesday, causing massive miseries to the patients and their relatives.